


Midnight Book Club

by Badwolf36



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Batman - Fandom, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Batfamily (DCU), Books, Cassandra Cain is Batgirl, Gen, Good Older Sibling Cassandra Cain, Hurt Jason Todd, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Jason Todd Has Issues, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Mentioned Alfred Pennyworth, Missions Gone Wrong, Protective Batfamily (DCU), Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:02:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24280057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Badwolf36/pseuds/Badwolf36
Summary: “Dick is a lying liar who lies,” Jason declares, drawing his knees up to his chest. His ribs are screaming in that very special way that lets him know at least one or more is bruised (or, more likely, cracked).“Dick wasn’t the only one who turned you in.” Cass says, now tracing ‘moron’ onto his forehead. “Also, Alfred.”___________Cass and Jason discuss books as they wait for Jason to be able to stand up after taking a brutal hit.
Relationships: Cassandra Cain & Jason Todd
Comments: 23
Kudos: 299





	Midnight Book Club

**Author's Note:**

> Probably not canon-compliant, but considering how screwy canon is, let's just say this is an alternate universe or a canon-adjacent one.

Jason comes to with blood on his lips and his head cradled against a firm set of thighs. The two are so incongruous that he freezes for a moment. That moment only lasts the length of time it takes for him to recognize that the fingers at his temples are tracing the sign language symbol for “J.”

“Cass,” he murmurs, knowing it’s her without even opening his eyes. He pauses to lick the blood off his teeth, grimacing at the familiar metallic taste. He sniffs delicately, pleased by the fact that his nose isn’t broken and that she’s wearing the jasmine perfume he sent her for her birthday last year. “Didn’t know you were in town.”

“Didn’t know you would fail to duck. Riddler henchman. Weak,” she responds, switching up the pattern she’s tracing. Jason struggles to identify it through the pounding in his head. When he does, he gives Cass a half-hearted snarl.

“I’m not an idiot. Don’t be an ass when I’ve taken a headshot.”

“I simply…point out truth,” she says calmly, and Jason snarls again.

“Where are we?” he asks, still not willing to risk opening his eyes.

“16th and Park. Library.”

“Ah.” Jason hums briefly. “Been keeping up with your reading?”

“Your recommendations…enjoyable. I have enjoyed ‘Matilda.’”

“Yeah, Roald Dahl was always a favorite of mine. And your vocab is improving too.”

“You have become reckless.”

Jason gives up on keeping his eyes closed. He drags them open, biting down on a whimper as the weak light of the library’s security lamps decides to stab directly through his pupils to his brain. He catches a brief glimpse of Cass, the Batgirl cowl pushed down around her neck.

“Who taught you that term? Also, have not,” Jason says as he slams his eyes shut and attempts to turn on his side. Cass sighs, but helps him.

“Our brothers say differently.” She sounds confident in her words, like she’s been practicing in her head. Jason wonders if Alfred has been rehearsing scenes with her. The older man mentioned he’d been trying that technique with her the last time they’d caught lunch together (modern plays even, since Shakespeare wasn’t really the best for teaching the nuances of contemporary language).

“Dick is a lying liar who lies,” Jason declares, drawing his knees up to his chest. His ribs are screaming in that very special way that lets him know at least one or more is bruised (or, more likely, cracked).

“Dick wasn’t the only one who turned you in.”

“Tim’s a traitor. And the demon brat wouldn’t bother.”

“You would be surprised,” Cass says, now tracing ‘moron’ onto his forehead. “Also, Alfred.”

“Shit,” Jason curses lowly. “What’d he say?”

“Hurting.” She taps his temple. Jason is well aware she doesn’t mean physical pain, although he’s still in plenty of that.

“I’m fine,” he says.

“Lying,” Cass returns easily. “Cave?”

“Safehouse, if you’re giving me the choice. I’ve got one at…” He stops as he tries to think of where his closest one would be from this location. The mere act of thinking makes his headache worse, but he deals with it. “Oh, hey, Park too. But 25th. Over by the museum.”

“When you can stand.” She graciously doesn’t point out that he can’t stand right now, and that doing so will take him a while longer. She’s kind like that.

“You’re my favorite,” Jason says.

“Flatterer.” The smile is evident in her voice even if Jason can’t see it.

“Tell me what else you’ve read lately. Anything you liked in particular? Or disliked?”

“Jane Austen. Nothing but…drawing rooms.”

Jason tries not to take affront to the knock on one of his favorite authors. “She can take some getting used to. And a lot of her settings are drawing rooms. But there’s deeper meanings to her work. And the relationships are…ahh!” He winces as Cass accidently brushes against a rapidly swelling lump on the side of his head.

“Sorry,” she whispers.

“It’s fine, it’s fine, it’s fine,” he repeats, turning the assurance into a mantra to keep from screaming. Not puking also requires a herculean effort, but he manages that mostly because he knows it will be so much worse with his ribs the way they are.

“I’ll stay,” Cass says, when he manages to catch more than two breaths in a row and keep them from juddering right back out of him. He manages to slit his eyes open enough to look at her. “And you’ll sleep. You need… _rest_.”

And Jason can tell the word choice is deliberate, that she understands sleep and rest are two very different things, particularly among people who dress up in spandex and Kevlar costumes at night.

“You don’t mind?” Jason asks, and curses himself for sounding so small and hopeful at the same time. It’s stupid to reveal a weakness like that, even if Cass is probably reading whatever vulnerabilities his body language is screaming at the moment.

“No,” she says, like it’s just that simple. Then again, Cass has never been one to lie. For her, if it’s worth saying, it’s worth saying honestly.

“Okay,” Jason says. “Pretty sure that safehouse has extra blankets.”

“Then we’ll use them. Sleepover!”

Jason giggles a little, because the whole thing sound absurd. He and Cass having a sleepover. Maybe they could pop popcorn and watch movies and braid each other’s hair. Actually, the more he thinks about it, the better the idea sounds. They could invite Stephanie, even (although that would likely mean the rest of the brood catching wind of it).

“Maybe we can watch ‘Pride and Prejudice.’ You might like the film adaptation better than the novel. Some of those drawing rooms are even fancier than the ones at the Manor.”

“When you can walk…I would like that.”

“Me too,” Jason says, and means it. He leans back into Cass’ thighs, letting her keep tracing patterns across his forehead. Until… “Hey, seriously, quit calling me an ‘idiot.’ I’ll duck next time.”

“You better. Need more rec…recom…book ideas.”

“I’ve got plenty,” Jason says, trying to think of some even as he shuts his eyes for a moment and indulges in this odd little moment of bonding. “I’ve got recommendations galore.”

Above him, Jason hears Cass repeating ‘recommendations’ quietly to herself, committing the word’s pronunciation to memory.

“I want…something to make me laugh then. For my next book.” Jason’s mind is already racing, whittling down funny books and comparing their reading level to Cass’ current progress, trying to find one that will challenge her, but not frustrate her. He winces as his headache reminds him it hasn’t magically disappeared. “When you can think…linear.”

“Good word, wrong idiom,” Jason corrects. “Think _straight_.”

Cass just hums in agreement. Jason smiles at her without opening his eyes. She’s come a long way, and he’s proud to have played a small part in that, even if the achievement is entirely her own.

“Hey, Cass?”

“Yes?”

“Maybe, when we get back to my safehouse, you can read to me? I’d like that.”

There’s a long pause, and Jason’s eyes pop open, worried that he’s offended her or that she’s changed her mind or that she’s going to leave him here and…

“I’d like that as well.”

Jason slumps back down in her lap. “Good, great. That’s awesome. Let’s do that then. When I can stand.”

“When you can stand,” Cass agrees.

“Until then, we’ll just….”

“Ssssh, Little Brother,” Cass soothes, tracing ‘brother’ and ‘family’ on his forehead.

And even with cracked and maybe broken ribs and one hell of a headache, Jason starts to feel a little better.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Comments are treasured!


End file.
